George Lucas has announced that he's stepping away from making blockbusters to focus on smaller passion projects, and stepping back from Lucasfilm in the process. Now Lucas has named a new co-chairwoman, who plans to put the studio back to making movies.

In the upcoming issue of Empire, Lucas vows to retire from his franchise films, tying up his remaining projects with Lucasfilm:

"I'm moving away from the company, I'm moving away from all my businesses, I'm finishing all my obligations and I'm going to retire to my garage with my saw and hammer and build hobby movies. I've always wanted to make movies that were more experimental in nature, and not have to worry about them showing in movie theatres."

And it appears that Lucas is serious. While he's retaining his CEO and chairman titles, he's named film producer Kathleen Kennedy co-chairman of Lucasfilm. Kennedy co-founded Amblin Entertainment with Steven Spielberg and her husband Frank Marshall, and she has an amazing list of production credits to her name, producing scores of Spielberg projects from E.T. to War Horse, Studio Ghibli movies, and art-house films like Persepolis and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

While Kennedy says it's too early to talk about her plans, she would like Lucasfilm to start making more movies, which could include a possible fifth Indiana Jones movie — one that wouldn't have Lucas in the director's seat so close to the helm.